Wait until your own son gets involved in drugs: Parents

Wait until your own son gets involved in drugs: Parents

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta

Even after a struggle of almost 15 years, Hartati, 60, has not
been able to cure her son's drug addiction. She is still trying
to earn money for the treatment of Koko, 35 (not their real
names).

Last year, her husband, a retired official at a state-owned
company, died in disappointment, she says, adding that she, too,
would welcome death as a respite.

"He started using all sorts of drugs in high school. We've had
him treated at hospitals and with traditional medication, but he
always goes back to drugs," Hartati said.

"He began stealing my money and jewelry as well as selling our
electronic appliances ... We couldn't control him any longer. Our
home become a hell of misery for years after," she remembered.

Hartati said now she had nothing left to sell, while people to
whom she still owes money had started demanding their money back.
Her son still hangs out trying to get hold of drugs, she said.

"I am very tired, and all I want to do now is lie down and
wait for my time to come," she whispered.

Asked to comment on Thursday's execution of an Indian national
convicted of drug dealing, she said she agreed with capital
punishment -- "but it can't bring back a lifetime lost" in the
family's fight against drugs, she said.

It is unclear what effect the execution of Ayodya Prasadh
Chaubey, 67, who maintained his innocence to the end, will have
on drug dealers, let alone the millions waiting restlessly for
their drug supplies.

The latest data from the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) shows
that 3.6 percent of the population are addicts, meaning that
families of at least 7.5 million addicts go through a daily
struggle to make it through the day.

Noted lawyer Henry Yosodiningrat, whose son once abused drugs,
praised the execution of Chaubey, saying the move was a concrete
measure to fight widespread drug abuse among the young
generation.

"It's progress, and it shows a moral commitment from law
enforcers to eradicate drug abuse; it's a first step in saving
our nation from devastation," said Henry, who set up the Anti-
Narcotics National Movement (Granat).

He said an average of 1,000 youngsters in the country died
each year because of drug addiction, and refuted the argument
that executing Chaubey was against human rights.

"What about the rights of millions of youths who have lost
their future because of drug traffickers?" he said, adding that a
country that upholds human rights like the United States still
applied capital punishment.

Henry demanded that other drug abuse convicts on death row
must be executed as soon as possible to make the deterrent effect
of capital punishment effective.

Baby Jim Aditya, also an antidrug abuse activist, said that
while she basically disagreed with the death sentence, she could
not help feeling it was an effective way to prevent the "enormous
damage" inflicted on young drug addicts. She cited, among other
things, the contribution of drug abuse to the increasing cases of
HIV/AIDS in the country.

Both Henry and Baby agreed that executing drug dealers was
only a small part of big task to eradicate drug abuse in the
country. They said prevention and medication must also be
significantly improved.

Meanwhile, Hartati couldn't care less about the ongoing
controversy.

"I haven't even told you my real misery yet. Wait until one of
your sons or a family member gets involved with drugs, then
you'll get to feel it."